


Coeur Noir

by artiikii



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:15:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28807938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artiikii/pseuds/artiikii
Summary: It started when Marinette had a bad day. Not only was she late for class, she snapped at the teacher (and Chloe, but that wasn't new), then she made a fool of herself in front of Adrien (again, not unusual but still soul-crushing). To make matters worse, an icy Akuma attacks Paris and Chat Noir is nowhere to be found. When he DOES appear, Ladybug snaps at HIM too, and he disappears, leaving Ladybug to purify the Akuma by herself. When Chat Noir's Kwami comes to find Ladybug (and by proxy, Marinette), she can't help but be worried. Had she unintentionally caused her own partner to become a victim of Hawk Moth?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 10
Kudos: 26





	1. PT 1

**_**Coeur Noir** _ **

****“Black Heart** ** ****”** **

****Pt I** **

“Isn’t this wonderful? Chat Noir just wishes to be acknowledged by the woman he loves but never is!” Hawk Moth spoke to no one but himself and the butterflies in his room as his lips twisted into a disturbing grin. “This will be an excellent test to see if I can control a person with a Miraculous and make them give their Miraculous to me…”

He laughed maniacally and captured a butterfly with his hands. His fingers swirled with dark matter, turning the butterfly into an Akuma, who turned those with intense emotions into his minions. The butterfly turned black and fluttered in front of Hawk Moth, obediently waiting for its next orders. After countless attempts at getting a Miraculous from either Chat Noir or Ladybug, this time, it _had_ to work. It was an almost foolproof plan! 

“Go after Chat Noir, my precious Akuma and evilize him!” he demanded as a small portion of the window in front of him opened to let the Akuma out. “And make sure he captures Ladybug’s Miraculous this time!”

Hawk Moth watched with a cold, yet determined expression on his face as the Akuma flew out from his giant window. He let out a drawn-out maniacal laugh before twirling his cane in his hand and turning around. He smirked evilly, eagerly waiting for the results of this test. His hopes were high. He was sure this would be his best plan yet.

****...** **

It all began when Marinette had a bad day. She woke up late _again_ thanks to being out late at night patrolling the streets of Paris as Ladybug. When she was late to class, she was given a reprimand from both Chloe and her teacher, causing her to snap at both and get herself into trouble. She even made a fool of herself in front of Adrien. _Again_. 

Even worse, it looked like it was going to snow that day and Marinette was not at all prepared. The weather had already dropped at least 5 degrees. She sighed, shivering slightly, as she waited outside for her best friend. She wondered whether her day could get any worse, and how.

“Marinette!” a tiny voice called from inside her purse. It took a few more muffled calls from Tikki before Marinette realized her Kwami was speaking to her.

Marinette looked up and examined the red, ladybug-like creature, which rested inside a purse. “Not now, Tikki! Not when others are around!” her voice sounded more snappy than she’d intended it to.

“Aren’t you cold out here like this?” a familiar voice asked before Tikki could respond. Marinette quickly shut her purse, hoping they hadn’t heard anything.

Feeling a warm jacket being placed around her shoulders, Marinette looked up slightly. Despite knowing exactly who’s voice had spoken to her, she was surprised to see the boy of her dreams looking at her curiously. Was there a hint of concern in his expression? He looked like he was about to sit down next to her, but Marinette had other plans.

“A-Adrien!“, she stammered, hopping up as all her confidence slowly evaporated together with her slight annoyance. Adrien’s jacket slipped off in a sudden motion, causing her to start shivering as the cold hit her again immediately afterward. “What-what are you here doing- I-I mean…what are you doing here?”

“Alya told me you weren’t feeling well today,” he said. He picked the jacket back up from the ground and re-wrapped it around Marinette's shoulders, a kind smile on his lips. “She said I should talk to you for a bit and maybe it would help.”

Marinette's face turned hot. Adrien smiled at her, _and_ he was concerned about her well-being? Was this a dream? No, this was pure bliss. Though she wasn’t sure whether she’d rather thank Alya for telling Adrien to help or kill her for doing so. She tried to think of something intelligent to say, but it didn't work out the last times she had tried... and definitely didn't work this time either.

“I, um, you know-” she stammered, rubbing her nape and laughing nervously, immediately forgetting what she had _just_ thought of. “J-just a dad bay−uhh, a-a bad day, I mean. I-I guess I haven’t been getting much sleep lately...”

Adrien looked at Marinette with a curious stare. He’d always found her awkwardness and screw-ups amusing, daring to even call them cute. Though there was always a part of him that wondered why she only acted that way in front of him. She couldn’t possibly like him, could she? 

_Nah, there’s no way_ , he thought to himself. _She wouldn’t like a guy like me._

If it wasn’t that then…what was it? Could she still be mad at him about the misunderstanding on his first day of school? He had apologized for everything, too, since it was his fault for the misunderstanding...but it _was_ after that day that Marinette had acted differently. What if Marinette didn’t like talking to him, or didn’t even want to? The thought of that saddened Adrien a bit; especially because of how good of a person she was.

“Say, Marinette-” he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. She squeaked in surprise and jumped away. He blinked in surprise at the gesture, opting to put his hands in his pocket instead. “This is a weird question but…do you hate me?”

Marinette gulped at the question, unsure of how to respond, especially with her stuttering and lack of ability to tell him how she _actually_ felt. She shifted her weight nervously from one leg to the other. “W-well, I…not-”

“Adrikins!” an annoyingly sweet voice called out, cutting Marinette off. Marinette and Adrien looked over.

Chloe was standing on the top of the stairs and threw herself at Adrien, almost knocking him off balance. Her elated expression changed when she saw Marinette and she immediately shot the dark-haired teen a glare. Her tone quickly went from sugary sweet to outright disgust. “Oh. Why are you talking to _her_?” 

The tone in Chloe’s voice when she said ‘her’ was venomous and Marinette knew it was directed at her. Marinette really hated the way Chloe spoke to her. Sure, they didn’t get along very well, but she shouldn’t be making fun of her or speaking poorly of her at every opportunity! Marinette was fine with Chloe talking behind her back, but talking trash to her face was another matter. Marinette’s hand curled into a fist in a glare at Chloe. Chloe noticed, and she scoffed.

“Aw, is the poor half-breed mad?” she asked in a tone one would use when speaking to a pet or a child. “Why don’t you go crying to your mommy? Maybe you can leave the country, too! That way, me and Adrien can be in peace.”

Marinette sneered and advanced the mayor’s daughter threateningly. Before she could even try anything, though Adrien stepped between them. “Whoa, whoa. No need to start a catfight.” he looked toward Chloe, unaware he was making a cat pun. “I’ve overlooked your attitude for a while because we’ve known each other since childhood, but I think I have to draw the line here. What you said is not right, Chloe.” he crossed his arms. “Just because Marinette’s mother is Chinese and her father isn’t, doesn’t give you the right to call her a ‘half-breed’. She’s a human being, not a dog!”

Marinette stared at Adrien with a mixture of admiration and surprise. Had Adrien Agrest just defended her? Marinette was starting to wonder if she really was dreaming _._ Even Chloe appeared stunned at Adrien’s statements, which Marinette couldn’t help but be amused by. Marinette didn't expect Adrien to defend her this way; especially since Chloe and Adrien have supposedly known each other for a long time. Probably as long as Marinette had been teased and bullied by her. She held back the smug smile that threatened to form on her lips. 

Adrien put his hand on Marinette’s shoulder again. Marinette didn’t flinch. Chloe complained, but Marinette didn’t seem to register it. She was too lost in Adrien’s eyes already. Adrien wasn’t paying any attention to her either.

“Don’t listen to Chloe, Marinette,” he said genuinely. He patted Marinette on the shoulder. “In all the years I’ve known her, she’s been pretty snobbish to anyone who _isn’t_ rich. You’ve known her for a while too, right? I don’t know how you’ve been able to put up with her attitude, but keep up the good work!”

Tikki started calling Marinette's name again, making Marinette dread getting caught. Marinette feared Adrien might hear Tikki and question her, especially with him so near. There was no way she would be able to talk her way out of that situation, so she decided to avoid it entirely. 

Adrien's jacket began to slip as Marinette clutched her purse tightly; Adrien stepped forward to fix it but Marinette was already turning around and on the move, trying to come up with an excuse on the fly. “I-I just remembered there’s something I have to do! Thanks for worrying about me Adrien, but-- really, I’m fine! And don’t worry about Chloe, I’m used to it by now. B-bye!” 

Somehow, because of how fast she was talking to try to leave as quickly as possible, she only staggered over her words a few times. Before either of the rich blondes could say anything, Marinette rushed down the stairs, waving awkwardly at Adrien. She disappeared around a corner, annoyed by Chloe’s words and that such a pleasant moment had been ruined. She quickly dipped into an alley and opened her purse. Tikki flew out, dragging Marinette’s phone with her. Marinette had already crossed her arms.

“What is it, Tikki? You could have gotten me caught!” she grumbled, too annoyed to calm her emotions. “I thought you were more careful than this! Things were going so well between Adrien and me too...” 

“I didn’t _want_ to do anything but…I had no choice.” Tikki dropped Marinette’s phone in her hands, speaking with urgency. “This is important! Alya just texted you about an Akuma running around downtown freezing people in blocks of ice. She said it’s coming towards the school. We have to get Chloe and everyone else still in or around the school out of here!”

Marinette looked at her phone, reading her best friend’s messages. When had Alya slipped past Marinette in the first place? Then again, clearly, it was Alya’s plan to have Adrien find Marinette on the steps. She probably had no intention of meeting with Marinette in the first place. Marinette sighed.

She was hesitant to transform into Ladybug again, as it always left her exhausted after, but she knew that she had to do _something_. After all, it was her duty as a superhero. Not to mention, Adrien would be in danger if she did nothing.

Adrien, the person Marinette wanted to avoid being confronted with at this moment, appeared breathless in the alleyway right as she was about to transform. She quickly darted behind the dumpster, struggling not to gag on the various foul scents surrounding her. Why did this have to happen _now_? 

“Marinette?” Adrien’s voice echoed through the alleyway. “I know you're down here somewhere!”

Marinette swore quietly as she held Tikki tightly to keep her from making any sounds. Why did Adrien have to follow her? She hesitated between replying or not responding. If she replied, Adrien wouldn’t be able to transform. But if she didn’t respond, Adrien would go deeper into the alley in search of her. Suddenly, she had an idea.

“Marinette? Who’s Marinette?” she asked, hoping she sounded like Ladybug, though she really didn’t know if Ladybug sounded different from regular old Marinette.

“L-Ladybug?” Adrien’s verbal structure suddenly crumbled as he recognized the voice. “S-sorry. I’m looking for an...important friend of mine. I thought I saw her…come down this alley. I guess I was mistaken.”

“Well, sorry to disappoint. No one’s down here but a superhero who’s about to switch back to her human form any second.” Marinette said, trying to make the lie as believable as possible. “Could you give me some privacy? You know, the whole secret identity deal. I hope you find your friend, though.”

“I understand completely. I-if there’s a problem I can help with…” Adrien trailed off. “Just- call out. I’ll be outside of the alleyway a bit.”

Marinette sighed with relief as she poked her head out from behind the garbage she had been hiding behind and saw Adrien walk out of an alleyway. She somehow did not realize Adrien had called her an ‘important friend’. She also didn't notice that his tone had changed when he believed he was talking to Ladybug. She just looked at Tikki and nodded, starting her transformation sequence as quickly and quietly as possible. In no time she was Lady Bug, all set to jump out of the alleyway and act like her usual confident self.

****...** **

Meanwhile, Adrien was outside of the alleyway where Ladybug had been, contemplating whether he should transform into Chat Noir and help her somehow. It was then he realized Plagg was still eating the full Camembert roll in his backpack, and his backpack was with Chloe. Who knew whether Chloe was still there or if she ran off on her own with it. In addition, he kind of wanted to see Ladybug, even if it was just for a second.

“Dammit.” he groaned, stomping his foot in annoyance. He looked around.

“Looking for something?” Ladybug dropped down very casually in front of Adrien, rolling her yo-yo in her hand.“Oh right, you were looking for your friend, weren’t you?”

Adrien was unable to respond, which caused Ladybug to laugh slightly. “Come on, I know I’m an amazing superhero and all, but you don’t have to stare.” she eyed Adrien, her eyes widening as if she had just recognized him. “Wait, haven’t we met before? You’re that model, Adrien Agreste, right?”

Adrien smiled, a light blush on his cheeks. “You…remember me?”

Ladybug nodded. “Who wouldn’t know you? You’re in all the magazines and posters.” Her face became serious after a second. “Anyway, enough small talk. You should check who's still in the school and nearby areas and be sure everyone is safe. There's a monster on the loose and it's freezing everything it touches.”

When Ladybug tried to fly off with her magical yo-yo, Adrien couldn’t help but stop her. “Wait! Uh… Is…is there anything else I can do to help?”

“For now just make sure everyone is safe.” Ladybug said with a smile. “There’s not much a powerless civilian can do against such a dangerous Akuma. Leave it to the superheroes. I’m sure Chat Noir will be here soon, too.” She jumped off toward downtown Paris without another word.

Even though Ladybug's comment appeared harmless, for some reason, it bothered Adrien. He wanted to say “I’m not just some powerless civilian. I am Chat Noir,” but he recognized that the chances of it being believed were probably lower than the chances of her being someone he knew. Plus she was already long gone. Until he could find Plagg, he was only able to do one thing; obey Ladybug and get everyone out of the way. It was no different from what he did as Chat Noir in the first place, except he wasn’t dressed up. He ran back to the school, hoping to see Chloe still there with the backpack. At least if he was the Chat Noir, he had the authority to order everyone to evacuate.

****...** **

The monster seemed to be calling himself Ice Pick. Unfortunately, Ladybug still wasn't sure who exactly Ice Pick was or why he turned this way. She had no idea where his Akuma could be hiding, either. Worse still, Chat Noir hadn't shown up at all yet. He wasn’t even responding to her calls. Could he not realize there’s an Akuma attack? No, Ice Pick had already caused a lot of destruction and there was already a newscaster on scene.

“Where is that silly cat anyway?” she mumbled, trying to evade the monster's icy attack. She didn’t want to admit it but she sure could use one of his cheesy puns to ease up the mood.

Ice Pick complained about not getting enough recognition for his art before blasting Ladybug with a stream of ice again. She had no choice but to retreat for now. She used her yo-yo yo swing herself on top of a building to take cover, yelping as a cold breeze hit her hand, completely freezing it into a block of ice. Of _course,_ it had to have been her yo-yo hand. It was a good thing she had already landed and retracted the yoyo.

“Well that’s just great.” she groaned. Now she was just as good as useless.

She took cover behind a generator and hoped Ice Pick wouldn’t find her, or would at least give up on her for now. She tried to break the ice, but no matter what she hit it against, it didn’t break. She slammed her hand-sicle against the generator in annoyance and just prayed for Chat Noir to appear.

“Hey, Freezer Burn, over here!” a familiar voice called from below.

Ladybug was hopeful as she heard what she thought was Chat Noir’s voice. The person even used the same stupid name puns Chat Noir used. However, when she peeked down from her hidden spot, all she saw was Adrien, standing below the Ice Beast. She panicked momentarily. Why was Adrien here? She mentally chided herself for having thought Adrien Agreste sounded like Chat Noir before jumping down from the building she had been hiding on top of and landing between Icepick and the blond model.

“Eyes over here, pal,” she said, trying to distract the monster so Adrien could run. “He’s not your opponent, I am.”

Adrien saw Ladybug's frozen hand and gasped. He grabbed her free hand and pulled her to an alleyway to get her away from Ice Pick. Ladybug, irritated by this action, twisted her arm free and looked at Adrien.

“What are you doing here?!” she exclaimed incredulously. “You could get hurt!”

“Look at your condition, Ladybug.” He grabbed Ladybug’s iced arm this time to prove his point.

Normally, if Ladybug was in Marinette’s headset, she would’ve been embarrassed at the fact that Adrien was holding her hand and so concerned. However, as a serious superhero, Ladybug–and a slightly worried Marinette–she was utterly irritated. Adrien Agreste, probably the most popular and important teenager in Paris, could not be injured or frozen. At least not on Ladybug’s watch.

“It’s no big deal, really…” she mumbled, pulling her arm back. She sighed and looked around. “It’d just really help if Chat Noir was here.”

 _Oh trust me,_ Adrien thought, _if I had known this giant freezer-burned popsicle was here sooner, I would’ve been able to help you before Marinette ran off…_

“You seem to rely on Chat Noir a lot,” Adrien said instead. “What’s your…what’s your relationship with him? Do you like him?”

He was more curious to see if his feelings for Ladybug were the same. She always brushed Chat Noir off, but he figured that she was just her playing hard to get. And it was definitely working. Somehow, each time she pushed him away, it just encouraged him to try harder. Ladybug’s laughter snapped him out of his thoughts. It was a very unexpected response.

“Like him?” she continued to laugh. “Sure, he’s a great friend and partner but…he’s not exactly my cup of tea. And he knows I like someone else.” Her face went serious again. “Anyway, I’m distracted. I need to defeat this thing. If Chat Noir doesn’t show up, then I have no choice but to destroy this thing myself. And you need to find a safe place.”

Adrien frowned at Ladybug’s words. If he ever found his backpack, he would undoubtedly have a lot to say to Ladybug when he transformed into Chat Noir. He watched Ladybug attack the monster from behind with her icy hand. She probably hoped to catch him off guard and break the ice at the same time. She hadn’t even given Adrien a chance to argue.

Adrien was hurt by Ladybug’s words. He was angry and perhaps a tad bit jealous. He _did_ know Ladybug claimed to like someone else but…he couldn’t help his own feelings. Until he was Chat Noir, however, he wasn’t able to do much about Ladybug’s feelings or the poor Akumatized person. He had to track down Plagg, and fast.

****...** **

Fortunately, slamming Ladybug's hand against the monster broke the ice on her hand and she was able to use her yo-yo to lasso and entrap Ice Pick. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a lot she could do outside of this. At least not without the help of her partner. They were partners for a reason. Because of the Adrien distraction, she wasn’t able to pinpoint where the Akuma was yet, either. She wasn’t sure if it was a good time to use her Lucky Charm.

Although Ladybug found Chat Noir annoying, and even though she told Adrien she didn't like Chat Noir, with his unnecessary flirting and horrible puns, Chat Noir made her feel at ease. He was like the useful, comedic relief. Not having him around made her question whether she was doing the right thing. It was halfway through the fight and Ladybug couldn’t help but feel annoyed that Chat Noir _still_ wasn’t there. Was Chat Noir doing anything while she was struggling?

Ladybug was too busy thinking to notice that Ice Pick came loose from the trap. Before she knew it, he loomed over her with a menacing expression, ready to freeze her whole body into an ice block. She yelped and backed away. Unfortunately, she realized she was cornered. Her back made contact with a wall. There was nowhere else to run. The day was just getting worse and worse. She wanted to scream.

“Cataclysm!” Ladybug was surprised to hear this automatic use of power from the familiar voice of Chat Noir. This time she was _sure_ it was him too.

The dark figure of Chat Noir bounced in front of her, grabbed her waist, and used his baton to propel them upward to the top of a building. As Ice Pick disappeared from her view, she saw where a lamppost hit him and knocked him unconscious. Ladybug, on one hand, was relieved that Chat Noir showed up; even when late, his timing was impeccable. However, she couldn't help but be annoyed, too. When they were on solid ground, Ladybug stepped away from Chat Noir and crossed her arms.

“Look what the cat _finally_ dragged in,” she said, making sure her irritation was apparent in her voice. Despite that, she was still trying to get over the fact she could have died if it weren't for Chat Noir's timely intervention. “Where have you been?”

“ _Thanks, Chat Noir, you’re so handsome and charming. You saved my life, I really owe you!_ ” Chat Noir said sarcastically, trying and failing to imitate Ladybug’s voice. “Looks like you really _can’t_ do anything without me. I’m flattered.”

Ladybug huffed, looking away. “I almost had him, okay! I still had my Lucky Charm if I wanted to use it! Plus, who here is the one who can actually _purify_ the Akuma and keep them from re-forming?”

Chat Noir’s ring sounded off as one of the spots on his paw print disappeared. “Whatever, Lady.” Seeing as Ladybug was annoying him right now, Chat Noir felt she didn’t deserve to be called ‘My Lady’ like he usually called her. “If you think you’re so hot, you can take care of him yourself. Call me once you’ve cooled off or something because clearly, you’re not in a good mood, and now neither am I.”

Ladybug’s expression softened for a second. Chat Noir was right; she had been too harsh and was still being affected by all the other things that had happened to her today. When she called him to apologize for what she had said, however, he just shook his head and extended his staff down to the ground. He slid down it like a fire pole and by the time Ladybug got to the edge, he was gone. 

Ladybug sighed in exasperation, messing up her hair. “Today is not my day. I shouldn’t have snapped at him... Now how am I supposed to apologize?” she glanced down to where Ice Pick was still unconscious. “I guess I’ll have to finish this up quickly and follow him. He still had a few more minutes before he would actually transform back anyways.”

Ladybug jumped back down to the ground and used her Lucky Charm to keep Ice Pick down even if he did wake up. Thanks to Lucky Charm, she discovered where the Akuma was hidden. Naturally, it was hidden in the chisel Ice Pick was holding. Because Ice Pick was still unresponsive, it was easy to simply grab and snap the chisel in half, releasing the Akuma. She watched as the black Akuma flew out of the chisel and attempted to fly away.

“Not so fast, Akuma!” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “You’ve caused enough trouble for me. I’m not letting you wreak havoc twice.” 

Ladybug caught the butterfly with her magic yo-yo before it could fly much farther, holding it captive. Then she released it. Out came a regular white butterfly. Satisfied, Ladybug put her yo-yo back on its place on her belt and smiled as the butterfly flew away. She muttered her usual catchphrase, as well as her Miraculous Ladybug power to repair things. After making sure everyone was accounted for and everything was in its normal state, she suddenly remembered she had other, more urgent matters to attend to.

****...** **

During the same period when Ice Pick's Akuma was purified, Chat Noir walked into an alleyway to think about what Ladybug said earlier, as well as how Ladybug had reacted when Chat Noir had essentially saved her life for the umpteenth time that month. How could it be possible that she didn’t have at least _some_ feelings for him? And how could she treat her partner like that? Maybe he was overreacting and being dramatic. Still, part of him wanted to know who it was she actually liked. Did she treat him better than she treated him? Was the person she liked somehow better than Chat Noir?

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost missed a black butterfly circling above him. Almost. The fluttering of the wings drew his attention, however, and he looked up in shock. This was bad. Why was there an Akuma here? Had Chat Noir gotten that caught up in his emotions that it caused him to be targeted by Hawk Moth?

“What the--?” he tried to swat the blackened butterfly away. “Go away! I never wanted to fight Ladybug! I’m just...frustrated!”

Before he could even try to call for help, the Akuma had already entered his ring against his will. He attempted to resist it for a bit, but failed. His last coherent thought was...why had the Akuma fused with his Miraculous? There was no way the Miraculous would stay the same if he transformed into a minion of Hawk Moth. Surely Hawk Moth knew precisely where his Miraculous was, too. Either Hawk Moth was dumber than he seemed or the Akuma had just fused with the first thing it had come into contact with.

In exactly the same moment that the Akuma forced itself into the Miraculous, Plagg was forcibly expelled from the ring. 

Plagg fluttered around Adrien in a panic, trying to get him to ignore Hawkmoth and relax again. Despite Plagg's best efforts, Adrien swatted him away with such force that he knocked the Kwami to the ground. Plagg was out of control now, because Adrien was completely under Hawk Moth’s spell. However, Adrien’s transformation had not been undone, despite the fact that Plagg was no longer in the Miraculous. Plagg was at a loss. In his _eons_ of being around, something like this had never happened.

“Excellent! I am Hawk Moth, and now _you_ are Coeur Noir!” Through the telepathic connection he established with the Akuma victims, Hawk Moth spoke. “You wish to prove to Ladybug that she is nothing without you? You wish she would reciprocate your feelings, as well? I shall give you the ability to remove anyone else who loves Ladybug, and all at the same time, you will be able to prove to Ladybug that without you, she is nothing!”

“That sounds…” Adrien’s voice, for a split second, sounded like he was ready to stand up to the Akuma. Plagg had some hope, but it was shattered by Adrien’s evil smile as he continued saying “...“terrific.”

Hawk Moth’s lips twisted in their own smile on his end. “Wonderful. Now go Coeur Noir, and get revenge on Ladybug. And don’t forget to obtain her Miraculous!”

****...** **

After being left behind by the now Akumatized Adrien—or Chat Noir?—Plagg woke up in an alleyway feeling dazed, tired, confused and especially hungry. He would do anything to have some Camembert. Unfortunately, that wasn’t what was important right now. Plagg was faced with a more pressing issue; he didn’t know where he was, nor where Adrien had gone. He had never been ejected without his permission from the ring before. For a moment, he forgot what the reasons were for this to have happened.

His memory suddenly recalled that, after Ladybug had angered him, Chat Noir was attacked and possessed by an Akuma. His attempts to snap Adrien out of it were all in vain, in the end. It was possible that Hawk Moth had forced Plagg to leave himself, perhaps to observe who the Kwami was or just because he knew Plagg would be a force of reason. Another thought curiously occurred to Plagg. Could Adrien have used his remaining willpower to force Plagg out of the ring to save the Kwami? Or at the very least, repel him from the ring so he could find Ladybug to get help? Plagg wasn’t sure if that was possible. The only option was to find Ladybug. So, he set out to find Ladybug or at least her Kwami.


	2. Part 2

**_**Coeur Noir** _ **

****“Black Heart”** **

****Pt II** **

After Ladybug had de-evilized Ice Pick and used her Miraculous Ladybug to fix anything that had been damaged, she ran off in search of Chat Noir. Although she was still transformed and knew she’d return to her former self any minute, she was still determined to find Chat before that happened. She realized that, after Chat Noir had left, she really _had_ overreacted when she had snapped at him; she had to learn better ways to separate her personal problems from her...essential job. She knew it wasn’t right to snap at someone who had no relation to the real reason she was moody and was feeling really guilty about it.

“God, either that cat is faster than I thought, or he’s already back to his human form.” Ladybug muttered to herself as she ran. “Maybe I should apologize later… But who knows what could happen if I leave it for too long...” 

Ladybug sighed and continued to think aloud as her earrings chimed. She was running out of time. She pulled out her communication device and tried to contact Chat using that. To her mild annoyance, he didn't answer, which, to Ladybug, implied that he either no longer transformed anymore or was purposely ignoring her. If he _was_ ignoring her, she was definitely going to scold him about it later. Her earrings chimed once more and she looked around. Knowing that her transformation was about to end and that she wasn't going to find Chat Noir any time soon, she turned into the closest alleyway so she could change back without being caught.

With a flash of pink light, Marinette was back to being her normal self. Tikki collapsed into Marinette's palm exhausted. That was exactly how Marinette also felt. Unfortunately, she couldn't just stop what she was doing. Marinette glanced around the alley before stepping out. As luck would have it, she was already near her house, so she could easily smuggle a cookie or two from the bakery, solve Tikki's exhaustion problem without anyone knowing any better. And maybe she could get a snack for herself as well.

She walked into the bakery casually, keeping Tikki in her shirt pocket, where the Kwami acted like a small plush, just to be safe. At least she could make it look like she had just gotten distracted after school. She was relieved to recall that her parents weren't due home until late, but still, despite her knowledge that no one would see her, she sidestepped over to where the cookies were being stored, taking a couple of cookies for Tikki and one for herself. After the snacks had been acquired, she went up to her room to feel a bit safer.

“Sorry Tikki,” Marinette said, sitting in front of her desk with a frown. “I may have overworked you this time.”

Tikki sat on Mariantte’s desk and shook her head. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine after I replenish my energy.” She took a cookie that Marinette had left on the table and bit into it. “Did you know every Kwami also has a specific type of food he or she prefers to eat? It’s not really specified what we prefer to use to replenish our energy. But once we eat a certain thing, we tend to stick with it.”

Marinette hummed in thought, taking a bite of her own cookie. “So does this mean Chat’s Kwami also has a favourite food it uses to replenish its energy?”

Tikki nodded, humming happily as she continued to eat the cookie. “It’s been a while since I’ve met his Kwami, but yes. I’m not sure what his favourite food is at the moment, though.”

Just as Marinette looked away for a second, a soft thud and a gasp were heard, followed by a sudden flurry of activity. Tikki still had a mouthful of cookie in her mouth as she suddenly flew upward in shock. Marinette watched the Kwami in confusion as it scanned the surroundings. Before Marinette had a chance to react, though, Tikki took off without a word, making her way up to Marinette’s balcony. Marinette quickly followed her up to her balcony, confused and curious.

“Tikki! What are you doing?” she exclaimed in a hushed tone that was somewhere between a whisper and a yell. “Someone might see you!”

“I...I thought I felt the presence of another Kwami…” Tikki muttered, looking around. Seeing nothing in the immediate area, she floated back to Marinette.

“You can do that!?” Marinette exclaimed in shock, looking at Tikki. She crossed her arms. “Wait a minute! Does that mean that this entire time you probably knew who Chat Noir was?”

Tikki hesitated to answer. “N-No…well…kind of.” she sighed as if admitting defeat. “I never know exactly _which_ Kwami it is who I sense. Just that there’s one around... Like now… I thought I felt one’s presence but it was so faint, now it’s gone.”

“What could that mean…?” Marinette asked, mainly to herself.

“I think…something is wrong…” Tikki responded after a second.

Marinette sighed. “We just got home…and I have homework, too… Does that mean I have to transform again?”

Tikki shook her head again. “If it _is_ a Kwami, I can’t talk to them when you’re transformed. The only way to find them is if we both look for them. Don’t worry if the Kwami finds out your identity. We Kwami’s are all sworn to secrecy.”

Marinette hesitated for a moment. If she and Tikki had to meet Chat Noir's Kwami, wouldn't that mean her identity would be found out? But Tikki said they were sworn to secrecy so at least the Kwami wouldn’t say anything to Chat. The question remained of why Chat Noir’s Kwami was looking for them. Providing he _was_ looking for them. 

What if Chat Noir was in trouble? If it _is_ his Kwami who is searching for them, though, then...would that mean that, rather than Chat Noir being in trouble, it was actually Chat Noir’s true identity who was in trouble? If that was the case, what if _she_ found out about _his_ identity by accident? After all, they _had_ promised each other that they’d keep their identity secret, even from each other, partly because that was what their Kwami’s told them to do. Since it was the Kwami coming to them, though, it _must_ have been serious, right? After a long period of thought, she sighed, deciding it was better to help either way.

“Alright. Let’s go find him.” she said, turning to go back into her room. “I’m not responsible, though, if one of our identities gets found out. Since you’re the one who can sense his presence, I guess you’ll have to lead the way. I’ll just f-”

Marinette’s sentence was interrupted when her phone rang. She groaned softly and took it from her pocket. It was a video call from Alya. That girl had the worst timing sometimes. Marinette quickly waved away Tikki, putting her finger over her mouth to tell her to be quiet and stay out of view as she accepted the video call, putting on her best smile. 

“Heeyy Alya. What’s up?” She greeted her best friend.

“Big trouble,” Alya replied immediately, evident panic in her voice. Marinette could hear screams in the background. “There’s someone who looks like Chat Noir running around downtown! Kind of like Copycat but…he’s different. His eyes are black instead of green, for one thing. _All_ black. Actually, everything about him is black. Even his hair has black in it! He’s a lot more…aggressive than Chat, too.” she paused to catch her breath. “His God awful puns and outfit are almost the exact same, though. He’s been wreaking havoc on anyone who has anything remotely related to Ladybug on their person!”

Marinette’s eyes flitted toward Tikki, widening slightly. “O-oh…is that so? Sounds...scary. I hope Ladybug comes soon! Where did you last see this Chat Noir lookalike?”

Alya seemed to hesitate in answering, looking around. “Well…last I saw he was heading off in the direction of _your_ Bakery. That’s why I called, to warn you. Make sure you don’t have anything Ladybug-related lying around, okay! I’m hiding out now because my phone is full of her. Be careful, okay Mari?”

Marinette forced a smile despite having nothing to be happy about. “Thanks for telling me, Alya. I’d better go lock up. Mom and dad are on a business trip, so I have to take care of the store anyway.”

The business trip part was a lie, but Alya wouldn’t know the difference. Marinette's parents _had_ been out for business that day but it was a short appointment so she let them stay out a bit later to spend time together. Plus, they hate an actual business trip later, so Marinette didn't feel as bad lying about it. She quickly ended the call and turned to Tikki, who had a serious expression on her face. They nodded at each other and Marinette hurried back down to her room to get ready.

“Looks like we have two jobs now,” she said with a dry laugh. “Let’s go find Chat’s Kwami first. He might be able to help us.”

****...** **

Marinette had run around her block several times in the past 15 minutes, still searching for the Kwami, not even knowing what it looked like or what its name was. She just assumed it would be black and have cat-like features and green eyes like Chat Noir did, seeing as it _was_ his Kwami. Tikki had gone in the opposite direction, saying that if she found him, she’d lead him straight to her. Unfortunately, that was ten minutes ago. There was no sign of the small creature and Marinette was out of ideas and places to search. Tikki explained that, because she could sense it, it had to be nearby, meaning Marinette would not find it outside of the neighbourhood.

Tikki was lucky, though; she could fly, so she could get around a lot faster. The only thing she had to be careful of was other people, which was fairly easy given she was so small. But… if Tikki _did_ get caught, Marinette would have _no_ idea how she would explain a…large, mutant ladybug if she needed to. Especially given the current situation. She was already frustrated enough from everything that had happened thus far, after all. At this point, Marinette was surprised that an Akuma hadn’t come after _her_.

Her thoughts distracted her from what was in front of her, causing her to run into something... small and floating. Thinking it was a bug, she shrieked in fear. When she attempted to swat it away, however, she realized two things; 1) the bug was way too big for Paris standards and 2) the appearance of it looked suspiciously like a...Kwami. She looked at the black creature floating in front of her with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. It looked exhausted, so much so that either it wasn’t bothered by the fact that someone had seen it or it hadn’t realized it had run into a human at all. 

She wasn’t sure whether to call for Tikki or take care of him herself until Tikki came back; the thing looked like it could drop any second. And that it did. If not for Marinette’s fast reflexes in catching it, the poor creature probably would have landed on the cement. Marinette wasn’t sure if Kwami’s could die, but a fall from that height, with the small size of a Kwami, didn’t sound safe.

“Yeah, okay, I have _got_ to find Tikki,” Marinette muttered, gently placing the creature inside her purse.

Marinette unintentionally made a third trek around the block because of where she found the Kwami. Finally, Marinette reached the bakery, panting heavily with her hands on her knees. Her glance went to the little creature sleeping in her purse and she frowned. Clearly, the thing needed food to sustain it. The question was...what kind of food would it eat? Tikki liked cookies or really anything sweet...but what did _this_ Kwami usually eat? What if it refused to eat a cookie? Or what if she didn’t have the food it normally ate on hand? She sighed softly.

“Marinette!” Marinette jumped in surprise at the sudden voice before realizing it was just Tikki, who was floating on the other side of the bakery from her.

The Kwami in her purse stirred and rolled over slightly. Marinette stared down at it, frowning slightly. She was concerned it might wake up and pretend to be a toy if it realized that it was not found by the owner. Tikki zoomed towards Marinette, stopping only a few feet in front of her. Marinette gestured towards her purse and Tikki simply nodded. The nod was all Marinette needed to confirm this was Chat Noir’s Kwami. Without another word, they raced up to her bedroom.

****...** **

“What are we gonna do, Tikki?” Marinette asked, pacing across her attic bedroom. “I don’t know what he eats. I can still give him cookies or macarons, right?”

Tikki, who was now sitting next to Chat Noir’s Kwami on Marinette's desk, hummed. “He should be able to eat anything. Especially since he's so exhausted.”

“Well, he’d better wake up and open his eyes and tell us what’s going on before this Chat lookalike does more damage!” Marinette grumbled, still pacing. 

Tikki stared at the Kwami for a moment before giving it an uncertain poke. It twitched briefly before settling. Then, very abruptly, it shot up from its slumber and started screaming about cheese and something which, to Marinette, sounded suspiciously like the name Adrien. No, Marinette must have heard wrong. There was _no_ way this Kwami belonged to Adrien.

Tikki hovered in front of the other Kwami with her arms crossed. The Kwami stared blankly at Tikki for a while. Suddenly, it widened its huge green eyes as if suddenly recognizing a fellow Kwami in front of him. The creature didn’t appear to have noticed Marinette yet, however.

“Ah!“ The Kwami shouted loudly, much to Marinette’s irritation. “Aren’t you…Ladybug’s Kwami? What was your name again? Tigger? Tinker?”

“It’s Tikki,” Tikki responded, seeming to be equally irritated. “I remember your name now. Plagg. The Kwami of destruction.”

****...** **

Plagg found it strange to see the Kwami of creation after so long, even though they had usually been partners for eons. However, he _did_ like hearing his title again. He was vaguely aware of the fact that Tikki’s owner was still pacing off to his left. Additionally, he had been well aware that the owner was Marinette, and so he purposely did not look at her. He was worried he might somehow indicate that he knew Marinette. 

Plagg had had the suspicion that Marinette was Ladybug for a while. He just never said anything due to the fact that he _had_ to keep it secret or he’d be breaking a very important Kwami rule. His stomach rumbled, bringing him out of his thoughts. That was right; he had more important things to do; like eat something and recover his energy.

“Can I get some cheese?” These were the first words he directed to Marinette.

“ _Cheese_?” Marinette exclaimed incredulously. “You want _cheese_ in a situation like this?!” 

“Mari calm down!” Tikki responded, floating up to the moody teen with a frown. “You know he’s exhausted! Cheese is probably his choice of food to re-energize!”

“Camembert, please,” Plagg added, trying to use the politeness Adrien had always nagged him about. After all, he was in the presence of the civilian form of the love of Adrien’s life. Not that it mattered to him, obviously, he just didn’t want to be yelled at by Adrien later on.

“We don’t have that here,” Marinette said, crossing her arms. “We’re a bakery, not a cheese shop. Can’t you just eat a cookie?”

“Aw, but I want Camembert!” Plagg whined and promptly started chanting Camembert repeatedly.

Marinette mumbled to herself about how expensive that particular cheese was and how Plagg’s owner must be very rich. However, she reluctantly strode off to her kitchen to look for other kinds of cheese for him, hoping whatever they had would appease him. It took a while but Marinette had finally managed to get Plagg to eat the only cheese they had on hand. 

Pouting as he ate his slice of Brie, Plagg sat on Marinette’s desk. Was it so hard for her to give him Camembert? Sure, he liked all cheese but he was _especially_ craving Camembert. It was becoming increasingly easy to forget he knew Marinette; especially after she gave him a cheese that nowhere compared to his beloved Camembert.

“Alright, you have your cheese. Now let’s get down to business.” Marinette said sternly, her arms crossed over her chest. “My friend told me that there’s someone who looks like Chat running around the city headed my direction. I haven’t heard much yet, but the news is talking about how it’s destroying statues and ripping posters with me- I mean Ladybug on it. Do you know anything about it?”

“Oh. About that….” Plagg scratched his head. “I was looking for Tikki because I had to ask her something.” He directed his attention to Tikki before continuing. “If…our hosts get possessed by Hawk Moth in transformation…do we get booted out…?”

“What are you talking about?” Tikki asked, staring at her fellow Kwami. Her eyes widened in realization. “You don’t mean…?

“Oh my god. Don’t tell me…Chat Noir is under the control of Hawk Moth?!” Marinette exclaimed incredulously, also quickly understanding what Plagg was implying. She shot up from her chair. “Alright, we gotta go. I’m allowed to transform right?” Plagg just shrugged nonchalantly so Marinette started the transformation anyway. 

“Tikki, _transformez-moi_!”

****...** **

Within ten minutes, Ladybug was flinging herself around Paris like Spiderman, Plagg trying hard to follow behind. Following Ladybug proved to be more difficult than Plagg was expecting. Although Plagg could fly pretty well and be pretty quick, Ladybug was much faster with her grappling hook and quick reflexes. This would be a lot easier if he were Chat Noir. He was so gonna kill Adrien for being weak enough to succumb to Hawk-Moth’s scheme. Once he made sure he was alright, of course. Plagg whined for the umpteenth time about Ladybug being too quick. 

“God, you're almost as hard to deal with than Chat,” Ladybug called from a nearby building. “I guess I know where he gets it from, now, though. Hurry up! We don’t have all day.”

Plagg grumbled to himself, forcing himself to fly faster. Below them, a figure dressed in a familiar black leather darted across a street, causing a several car pile up. It was Adrien. Or more precisely, Akumatized Adrien. Plagg could tell even from the height of the sky that it was Adrien.Once Plagg had returned to the building, the superhero grappled away, clearly seeing the Akuma as well. She landed on a lamppost right near where the Akumatized Adrien had just been.

Only then did Plagg recognize that this situation was problematic; if Ladybug managed to get the Akuma out of Adrien's ring, which he hoped she did, Adrien would revert to his normal self, not Chat Noir. Ladybugand, therefore, Marinette would find out who Chat Noir was. If Ladybug discovered Adrien was Chat Noir... Plagg didn’t think he wanted to know what would happen. Actually, judging from what he saw in Marinette's room, her reaction would probably be pretty funny. Nevertheless, he knew it wasn’t a smart idea.

Plagg watched as Ladybug jumped down from the lamppost, flipping and landing on the top of a stopped car. The driver seemed surprised, but then, seeing who it was, immediately took out his phone to record. Ladybug cat-called his Akumatized owner, who looked around to see who called him.

“Well, well, well. Look who I’ve _spotted_.” Akumatized Adrien said upon finally noticing Ladybug approaching. He smirked slyly. 

“And look what the cat dragged in.” Ladybug retaliated with a pun of her own. “Listen, Chat, I don’t know what got into you, but you _can’t_ be like this.”

“I’m not ‘Chat’ anymore. I’m Coeur. Coeur Noir.” He was already preparing to attack Ladybug before even finishing his sentence. His baton now had a spearhead on it, making it a lot more…deadly. Especially when he was running at Ladybug with it. 

Ladybug sidestepped to dodge the attack, grabbing the end of the spear and pulling it with enough strength that brought Coeur Noir stumbling forwards. She had surprisingly easily disarmed him of his spear, tossing it to the side. Still, there was more to come. 

“Looks like this isn’t gonna be as easy as I wanted it to be.” Ladybug mumbled, regaining a combat stance.

She approached Coeur Noir and stopped several feet away. Coeur stepped back slightly, getting into a defensive pose of his own. His leather whip-shaped ‘tail’, which was tipped with an even blacker black than his outfit, swished and snapped like it was an actual whip. Despite this, Ladybug didn’t look afraid. She put her yo-yo away, thus abandoning her only weapon, which wasn't that effective anyway besides for trapping people or bonking them on the head. 

“What, too afraid to fight your _purr_ -tner?” Coeur Noir asked teasingly, advancing slowly. “It’s not like you haven’t had to fight me before. Come on, _Bugaboo_ , kitty wants to play.”

“Listen, Chat…or whoever you actually are…” Ladybug said calmly, hoping she could talk her way out of this. “I know you’re mad at me. I said some really mean things before. It’s just…I haven’t had the best day. I know I shouldn't have taken it out on you.”

****...** **

Coeur Noir stopped advancing. For a second, Adrien seemed to be realizing what he was doing. He clutched his head, trying to break free from Hawk Moth’s grips. “it’s…not your fault…” 

His voice was faint, but just loud enough for Ladybug to hear it. Seemingly, just talking seemed to work on Coeur Noir, much like it had worked on several other Akumatized humans. Maybe if she continued like this, she didn’t have to fight him. She couldn’t be too confident with this method, though, as Hawk-Moth had quickly brought him back into the mind-control before Adrien could get anything else out.

“ _What are you doing, fool!?_ ” Hawk Moth exclaimed inside Adrien’s head. “ _Get me her miraculous. Kill her if you have to! If you do that, I’ll…bring her back. And she’ll only be yours._ ”

Adrien once again lost control and Coeur Noir regained his composure, smirking. “You got it, bossman.”

He took a second baton off of his belt. This one extended into a sword rather than a spear like his previous one. Ladybug had been too distracted trying to think of a back up plan to notice Coeur Noir return to form, which was definitely not the smartest choice. Coeur Noir exploited this to his advantage, however, and rushed at Ladybug with the blade, aiming right at her chest. From the shadows, Plagg saw Ladybug's attacker and swooped closer to her to warn her.

“Ladybug! watch out!” Plagg shouted.

Ladybug spun on her heel quickly. She gasped when she saw Coeur Noir charging at her and quickly took out her grappling yo-yo, swinging out of the way faster than she, Plagg, _and_ Coeur thought to be possible. However, Coeur still managed to arc the sword around and slash her leg as she grappled over his head. Ladybug yelped in pain and lost control of her grappling yo-yo. She nearly hit a wall and, trying to avoid it, rolled in the air, tumbled to the ground, barely managing to do a roll. She landed in an awkward and mildly painful crouch. She held her leg momentarily before pulling herself upwards with a lot of effort.

Coeur Noir, now distracted by the shout, shifted his gaze to the direction Plagg’s voice had come from, while Ladybug was left to struggle to her feet. It was clear that Kwami's voice was heard; however, it did not appear he connected the voice with his Kwami, and if he did, he didn't care. Ladybug stumbled forwards, trying to ignore the searing pain in her leg and the fact that she was probably bleeding. Even though she still hadn't planned on fighting Coeur Noir, she figured she should at least use her Lucky Charm with the hope that it would serve as a distraction to find out where the Akuma was hiding. She also wanted to get the Akuma off of Plagg’s tail.

“Lucky Charm!” she shouted, intentionally louder than normal. She flung her Yo-yo in the air, hoping the shout and action would act as a distraction.

Her yo-yo glittered in the air before changing form and landing back in Ladybug’s hand. Thankfully, Coeur Noir turned his attention back to Ladybug. A heavy, polka-dotted sword fell into her hands. She wasn’t expecting that; usually, her Lucky Charms are a little more... obscure. She hoped it was only there to block his own attacks. She looked around for some Ladybug instinct, but could find nothing useful. The only hint she got was on Coeur Noir. She didn’t have much more time to think, now that Coeur Noir’s attention was back to her. He had already charged towards her and was ready to attack; she barely had time to side-step away from one of his attacks.

Plagg sighed in relief, sure Ladybug would have grabbed him or attacked him if she hadn’t distracted Coeur Noir. Ladybug was attempting to counteract Coeur Noir's attacking attempts with her own, while trying to avoid physically hurting him. Plagg quickly remembered that Ladybug stood no chance against Akumatized Adrien’s swordsmanship since Coeur Noir had the advantage of still having Adrien’s fencing skills. Still, if Plagg wanted his owner back to normal, he had to root for Ladybug’s victory. She seemed to be already running low on adrenaline and her injury was still bleeding, which wasn’t helping her performance.

“Go, Ladybug!” he shouted in an effort to encourage her, not caring if anyone heard him.

Fortunately, all his shout did was start a chant among the onlookers, cheering Ladybug on. Ladybug charged at Coeur Noir, the cheers boosting her confidence and adrenaline. After somehow managing to disarm him, she ran Coeur Noir against a wall. She crossed both swords across his neck, close enough so he couldn’t move but still far enough that he wouldn’t get hurt by the blades.

“Well, looks like you’ve been a- _purr_ -hended.” Ladybug said teasingly, inwardly cringing at how bad that pun was. “Let’s take this cat out of its _mew-_ sery.”

“What are you gonna do? Kill me?” Coeur Noir asked, smirk still on his lips. Despite his smirk, he looked surprisingly annoyed by the people chanting Ladybug’s name. “Go ahead. You already have the upper _paw_ right now.”

Ladybug shook her head. “Hate to _purr-_ st your bubble, but I have no intentions of killing you. I don’t care who you are now, or who you are as a civilian. You’re still my partner. Without you I’m useless. Can’t we just admit we both need each other.” she smiled sweetly, lowering the swords when she noticed Coeur Noir’s expression falter. “So please, Chat, come back. I promise I’ll appreciate you more if that’s what you want.”

Coeur Noir seemed to be fighting with himself internally. Hawk-Moth was slowly losing control with each word that Ladybug said. Adrien was slowly coming back, too, and for a second, the transformation had started to disappear. Coeur Noir’s eyes, which looked like black holes, changed back to his normal, green irises with normal whites. His power was also slowly dissolving, causing him to become increasingly exhausted. Hawk-Moth tried to strengthen his grip on Adrien’s conscience again.

“ _Stop resisting! Otherwise, you’ll be the one to die!_ ” he threatened. “ _I brought you into this, I can take you out!_ ”

Coeur Noir narrowed his eyes and tried to push Ladybug away, but Adrien was still fighting for dominance. More of the transformation wore off. The cat ears disappeared; so did the tail whip. Hawk-Moth was at his last nerve. He couldn’t give up now. Ladybug was _righ_ t there. If he just made Coeur Noir reach her hands up _just_ a bit, her miraculous would be his.

“ _Coeur Noir! Get Ladybug’s Miraculous!”_ he insisted. “ _Her earrings! Go for her earrings!_ ”

“L-Ladybug…” Adrien said weakly. “The…ring…”

Unfortunately, Hawk-Moth finally regained control over Adrien, and Coeur Noir lunged forward, knocking Ladybug to the ground and reversing their positions. Ladybug gasped and squirmed as if that would help her escape. Now Ladybug was the one who was trapped. She was practically helpless and running out of energy. Things weren’t looking too good for her. Especially since she was running out of time before she would lose her transformation. She had to think.

“Not too tough now, are you, _Bugaboo_? I wonder when your little side-kick is gonna come save you. Oh wait… _he can’t_.” Coeur Noir smirked. “Now give me your Miraculous! It’s not like it will matter in the end anyway! You only have...maybe two minutes tops before your Miraculous runs out!” 

The now growing crowd booed at Coeur Noir as others continued cheering Ladybug on. He turned to them, turning his attention away from Ladybug and aiming the sword at the crowd, waving it around. He sneered at them. “If all of you could _shut up_ about how great Ladybug is, I’d _really_ appreciate it. I’m not afraid to use this thing on you guys, either. Sure, Ladybug is great but how do you think _Chat Noir_ feels getting little to no recognition!?”

Ladybug tried to move out of Coeur Noir’s way while he wasn’t looking but just as she had tried to lift herself up and reach for her own sword, she came face to face with Coeur Noir’s sword again. She was fearing for her life right now, but she wasn’t going to give up that easily. Her earring chimed once. She was running out of time, too, and unless she could get away from Coeur Noir for long enough to re-energize Tikki and transform back, she would have to do this _now_.

She bit her lip and swiftly brought her knee up to Coeur Noir’s gut, apologizing mentally to Chat Noir. Coeur Noir, caught off guard, stammered back. He groaned and clutched his stomach, glaring in Ladybug’s direction. Unfortunately, he still had a tight grip on his sword, but it at least allowed Ladybug the chance to stand up and grab her own sword again. The sword felt heavier as her adrenaline started to wash away, but she still tried to hang on until the last second.

Chat Noir…or whoever it actually was had mentioned something about his ring. Suddenly, Ladybug remembered Plagg's statement about what happened when a Miraculous was the placement of an Akuma. How could she have forgotten such an important detail?! But...was it _really_ in Chat Noir’s Miraculous? Hawk Moth couldn’t be _that_ careless, could he? If Hawk-Moth both Ladybug’s _and_ Chat Noir’s miraculous, would it not have been better for the Akuma to possess a different object so the Akumatized Chat Noir could just take off the ring himself? Hawk Moth would have already had one of the Miraculous’s if he had done that.

Ladybug was actually glad Hawk Moth had made that error, however. Still, she had a bigger concern on her hands. Coeur Noir was charging at her again, this time he seemed _really_ annoyed, perhaps still due to the onlooker's constant cheering, booing, and mentions of Ladybug. How was she going to get his ring so easily, though? She would have to disarm him again, and the first time was hard enough as is.

Her earring beeped impatiently for a second time, signalling she had little time left as Ladybug. Another matter was...if Ladybug destroyed the Miraculous...what would happen to Plagg? Sure, her Miraculous Ladybug would fix everything but...to what extent? She dodged an attack, narrowly getting sliced in the side by Coeur Noir’s sword. She thought about what she would do if Chat Noir didn’t return. Not only was he a fun comedic relief to have...but his Cataclysm really came in handy 90% of the time. She blocked another attack with her sword, pushing forward with enough force to cause Coeur Noir to lose his balance.

She decided to use this as a chance to seek advice from Plagg, spotting him and beckoning him forward without drawing anyone in the crowd forwards by accident. Plagg flew to Ladybug, making sure he didn’t draw too much attention to himself. She slid into an alleyway, hoping Coeur Noir didn’t notice and turned her attention to Plagg.

“Plagg, you said the Akuma was in his right, right?” she asked softly. “What happens if I destroy the miraculous myself?”

“Who knows,” Plagg said with a shrug that was way too nonchalant for such a serious situation. “I’m not sure if it’s technically the Miraculous right now, though, if it _did_ draw me out. The only thing you _can_ do is destroy the ring. It’ll fix itself anyway with your Miraculous Ladybug thingy. I might disappear once it's destroyed but...I’m sure I’ll reappear once it's fixed.” He paused, scratching his head. “Probably.”

“ _Probably?!_ ” Ladybug screeched quietly. From outside the alleyway, Ladybug heard Coeur Noir taunting her. He had _definitely_ seen her go on there. “We can’t _risk_ a ‘probably’!”

“Don’t worry about me, worry about yourself. Just focus on breaking his ring.” Plagg insisted. “I would say quickly de-transform while you have the chance, too, but you might lose the sword.”

Ladybug knew Plagg was right about both things If she wanted to save Chat Noir, she _had_ to break the ring. But if she wanted the sword, still, she would need to stay in her current transformation. Her earrings chimed a third time. She only had probably less than 2 minutes to finish this.

“Come out come out wherever you are, LB~” Coeur Noir sang out. “Oh wait, I know _exactly_ where you are! Now _give me your Miraculous!_ ”

As he said that, he sprinted into the alley blocking Ladybug from exiting, as it was a one way alleyway. Ladybug sighed, adjusting her grip on her sword. On one hand, at least if she _did_ de-transform, all the people watching her and filming her wouldn’t see...but Coeur Noir, and by proxy, Hawk Moth, _would_ see. And having Hawk Moth know would be most dangerous. She had one last plan up her sleeve.

“I don’t have time to mess around anymore,” she grumbled, adjusting her grip on her sword. “If you won’t let me help you the easy way, I’ll have to do it the hard way.” 

She ran at Coeur Noir and hit him with a fake-out. Instead of swinging down, like Coeur Noir was probably expecting her to do, she maneuvered the hilt of the sword so it would hit Coeur Noir square in the chest. Coeur Noir fell back to the floor but not before his own sword managed to slice Ladybug’s cheek. She gasped slightly but didn’t have time to dwell on it. She immediately stepped on his ribcage to keep him down and pointed the tip of the sword at his face. Despite how damaged Coeur Noir was, in addition to his current situation, he still wore a smirk on his face, as if he were still capable of turning things around. Ladybug wanted to wipe that sly smirk off his face no matter who was behind it. 

“Looks like you’re running out of time.” He was even still able to joke. Ladybug was so ready to end this. “If you don’t hurry, I might find out who you _really_ are. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

“I know,” Ladybug responded, staring down at Coeur Noir. “That’s why I’m gonna do this-”

Without a second thought, Ladybug brought the sword up over her head after making sure it was perfectly aimed for the ring on Coeur Noir’s hand. She closed her eyes and brought the sword down, hoping she didn't accidentally chop Coeur Noir’s fingers off. Luckily, she heard the clang of metal against metal. She opened one eye to see the ring had indeed cracked and that the host of the Akuma was unharmed. Coeur Noir shouted in protest as his powers started to disappear. After a second, he fell unconscious. The Akuma flew out of the ring and tried to escape.

“Not so fast you rascally little Akuma!” Ladybug said, pulling out her magic yo-yo. “Time to de-evilize!”

She captured it before it had a chance to fly too far, purifying it in her yo-yo. A minute or so later, the butterfly was released, now a normal white butterfly. Ladybug smiled, uttering her catchphrase as it flew away. She barely had the time to shout out ‘Miraculous Ladybug!’ and return everything back to normal before her transformation ended. Luckily, hidden in the alley, no one could see her. However, at the same time she used Miraculous Ladybug and everything returned to normal, Coeur Noir was also turning back to his civilian form.

She avoided looking at the person as she left the alley. Luckily, everyone had dispersed and she was able to safely leave without being discovered. Limping as far away as possible, she found herself in a different alleyway. Tikki, despite being just as exhausted as Marinette, made sure to follow her carefully so nothing bad would happen to her.

After entering the alleyway, she collapsed against a wall, panting. This was the most exhausted she’d ever felt after de-transforming. She looked down and couldn’t help but notice her leg was still bleeding. She touched her cheek; it was also bleeding. She frowned.

Why hadn’t the Miraculous Ladybug fixed her injuries? Had she been too weak? Tikki, who had settled next to Marinette to rest a bit, eyed Marinette in concern. She was just as confused as Marinette. No matter how it worked out, Marinette was just glad to know that Chat Noir was safe again. In the event that Plagg didn't return, Chat Noir's former civilian form would still be protected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, was gonna wait for more reviews but here's chapter 2 since I already posted chapter 2 on my FFN and it's only fair to upload them all around the same time. (PS; if the wording here seems different from the FFN one I ask 1) why are you reading it on both sites okno- also 2) I edit my stories like 3-4 times before I post and the last edit is done in whichever website's editor thing so sometimes the edits I make will be changed.)  
> I decided instead of using Spots On, to use the French transformez-moi because to me, it matches the seriousness of this story. Also since i used Chat instead of Cat, it's only fair to keep the French theme going.  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! the last part is kinda like the ending of an episode of the show that just ties up some loose ends from the plot points mentioned at the start of the show. Also some Adrienette because I couldn't resist.


	3. Part 3 (final)

****Coeur Noir** **

****(“Black Heart”)** **

****Pt III** **

Hawk Mole growled in frustration as he realized his plan had failed and he was cut off from Chat Noir. The test did not succeed, but he had gained some useful insight. He smirked menacingly as he thought of another genius plan. Maybe the problem was the place where the Akuma fused; if he had the Akuma fuse elsewhere...getting both Miraculous’s would be a cinch. His lips twisted into an evil smile.

“Yes!” he exclaimed, staring out the window. “You may have won this time, Ladybug but next time I _won’t_ fail. I will get those Miraculous’s even if I have to _force_ you to give them to me!” 

He laughed maniacally as the window closed and his evil ‘lair’ became dark. Muttering about his next plan, he de-transformed and left his lair. Once back to normal, he casually walked back to his office and called on his assistant. However, what Gabriel Agreste failed to realize was that the person he Akumatized wasn't just Chat Noir, but also his own son, Adrien Agreste.

****...** **

Adrien felt dazed and confused when he awoke in an alleyway. Where was he? What had happened? All he recalled was being Chat Noir, and then...nothing.His mind flashed a memory of the Akuma fluttering around him. Had he been Akumatized? He hadn’t realized the extent of his emotions; hell, his mind was still so foggy he barely remembered what had triggered it in the first place. He sighed and looked around before realizing something was missing.

“Plagg?” he called out, looking for his Kwami. “Plagg!”

He spotted his ring on the ground next to him and picked it up. Though he was gradually starting to remember why he had gotten so emotional, it made him realize how petty he had been at the time. Was he even worthy enough to use this ring after letting his emotions get the best of him? Still, he had a duty as Chat Noir. He realized that just as much as he needed her, she needed him — even if it wasn’t exactly the type of _need_ he desired. 

He slid the ring on his finger, waiting in anticipation for what might happen. He almost expected Plagg to come flying out and yelling at him. When he looked up, though Plagg was just floating there looking rather exhausted. Their eyes met and the Kwami let out a sigh of what seemed to be that of relief.

“Never do that again, kid,” Plagg said, floating closer to Adrien. “Do you know how worried I was? Let’s not even start with how worried _Ladybug_ was, too!”

Adrien’s eyes widened and he couldn’t help the smile that formed on his lips. “Ladybug was worried…? About me?”

“Well, about Chat Noir, yes.” Plagg nodded. “And don’t worry, I don’t think she or anyone else saw your identity.”

To ensure he was right, Plagg flew to the entrance of the alley and looked around. No one was around, luckily. At least no one who was involved in the crowd that watched was there. He returned, though not before noticing Tikki flying nearby. He decided to ignore her for now. They had to get out of this alley without drawing too much attention, first.

“No one is around, but I still want you to be careful,” Plagg informed. “There’s no exit to this alley, so just...try not to look suspicious.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “That’s easier said than done Plagg. You’re going to need to hide, first.”

Plagg hesitated. Of course, he _should_ hide but...Tikki was around, and obviously, she was looking for them, otherwise, she wouldn’t be putting herself at risk. But why? Could something be wrong with Ladybug? Or would it be Marinette? He sighed, deciding it would be better to follow Tikki while he still had the chance. Without warning, he flew off to the last place he saw Tikki.

“Plagg?” Adrien called after his Kwami in confusion. “Hey, Plagg, wait up! Where are you going? You’re the one who said to not be suspicious!” 

Plagg knew Adrien would follow him and had a feeling that was what Tikki wanted in the first place. Or maybe she just wanted to tell him where Marinette was. Whatever the case, Plagg was still going to try to lead Adrien to Marinette. Plagg glanced back at Adrien, who could barely keep up with his speed. 

It was a good thing, too, since Plagg had finally found Tikki, who had now understood what Plagg was doing and had just turned out of Adrien’s line of sight when he finally caught up to Plagg. Plagg almost lost Tikki once, too, but luckily, was able to find her again fairly quickly.

Tikki led them to an alleyway not far from where Adrien had been. Plagg watched as she flew to the back and hid again, probably in Marinette’s purse, just as Adrien had stopped behind Plagg. As Plagg suspected, Marinette sat injured and possibly unconscious at the end of the alley. 

Adrien was panting while glaring at Plagg. He started walking closer to the Kwami, but Plagg just floated back and sat inside Adrien’s inner pocket as if he hadn’t just all but dragged his owner all the way to some random alleyway. What was up with this creature? Was this supposed to be his punishment for being Akumatized?

“Plagg what are you—” he immediately stopped speaking as he spotted a figure, slouched in the back of the alleyway. As he approached the figure, his eyes widened when he realized who it was. “M-Marinette!”

He sprinted up to his friend, noticing the wound on her leg and the scratch on her face. He knelt beside her and examined her, making sure that she was still breathing. To his relief, she was. If this was caused by his Akuma attack…why hadn’t Ladybug’s power immediately healed her? Did her power not work that way? He hoped it had nothing to do with his power of destruction being amplified because of the Akuma. 

On the other hand, she might have gotten hurt by someone else. Not that the idea was any better than him doing this to her. If it _was_ that and not him, Adrien was more concerned about _who_ would want to hurt such a sweet, caring person. Unfortunately, he had a bad feeling it was the former thought over the latter thought. He sighed softly and shook Marinette gently. 

“Marinette?” he called softly but with urgency. He nudged her shoulder again. “Marinette, are you okay? Can you hear me?” 

Marinette groaned softly as she started to stir. Adrien assessed Marinette’s wound in the meantime. On her leg was a fairly deep cut – it could have been caused by anything. On her cheek, a similar cut also looked like it might have been from anything. There was no saying exactly what happened to Marinette. However, that changed when another memory flashed in his mind; he was holding a sword, but his body didn’t look or feel like his. Was it possible that his subconscious was right and that this _was_ his fault? He only had that one memory to go off of but...these wounds did line up with how a sword would slice.

Regardless of whether it was his fault or not, he still wanted to try to wake Marinette up. The wound on her leg was still bleeding and he was afraid if she stayed asleep, she might not be able to wake back up. He glanced at her leg again and took off his jacket. The most he could do for now was to stop the bleeding. 

Not wanting to cause too much for both him and Marinette, he opted out of calling for an ambulance. He allegedly did this, so he should be held accountable, even if he didn’t recall doing it in the first place. He just hoped it wouldn't take too long for her to wake up. Fortunately, after a few more unsuccessful attempts at waking her, keeping pressure on her wound, she finally began to stir.

****...** **

When Marinette regained consciousness, she was still in the alleyway where she had de-transformed. She had no memory of falling asleep. Had she passed out after the last bit of adrenaline ran out? She hoped she hadn’t been out for long, that would have been awkward for her. She looked around, but it took a while for her vision to actually focus. That was when she noticed the other person with her. She straightened slightly when she realized it was Adrien. 

He knelt before her, his eyebrows furrowed together in concern as he stared at her. For a second, she panicked. Had Adrien seen her revert to normal? No; it wasn’t possible. The last time she saw him was when she was fighting the Ice Pick and her hand was frozen. That must have been...a couple of hours ago. The sun had already set by now.

“Thank goodness you’re awake!” Adrien heaved a sigh of relief when he realized Marinette was awake. “Let’s get you out of here. Can you walk?” 

She bit her lower lip slightly, staring at Adrien. He didn't seem at all to know that she was Ladybug, which is good. If he found out that, she wouldn't know what she would do. Not only would she be breaking one of her superhero rules, but it would also be _really_ embarrassing for her. Not to mention unfair for Chat Noir.

Still feeling too shy to speak, she answered Adrien’s question by trying to stand up. As she suspected, all of her adrenaline from being Ladybug was gone and the minute she put even the slightest pressure on her leg, she yelped in pain and collapsed back to the ground. If Adrien had not put his hand behind Marinette's back when he saw her fall back, she would have hit her head on the wall behind her.

“Careful!” He exclaimed before he sighed. He evaluated the situation and removed his jacket from his leg, which she hadn’t even noticed. “You’re too weak to move on your own... I have no choice but to carry you.”

Marinette’s eyes widened as Adrien said the word "carry". She tried to complain but Adrien already picked her up with surprising ease before she could even get a word out. She made a noise that sounded like a mouse's squeak mixed with a pig's squeal as her arms flew around his neck instinctively. Adrien looked at her in a way that made her want to disappear. Then he furrowed his eyebrows.

“Sorry, did I hurt your wound?” he frowned. That concerned look was back on his face. “I’ll be more careful.”

Marinette shook her head quickly, glad Adrien wasn’t too weirded out by the sound. She couldn’t help but stare at Adrien in awe. How was such a perfect looking boy her _classmate_ and _friend_? She mentally chided herself for being weird, but she couldn’t help it; the last time they were this close was when Adrien invited her to slow dance with him at Chloe’s party during that Summer and it was only because Alya intervened. 

Marinette felt like if she were to lay her head against his chest close enough, she would probably be able to faintly hear his heartbeat. She hoped _he_ couldn’t hear _her_ heartbeat because it was currently pounding quickly in her ribcage. The current situation was already embarrassing enough.

After a second, which felt like an eternity to Marinette, Adrien offered a small smile and started to walk, leaving the alleyway. At first, Adrien seemed to be walking aimlessly, as if trying to decide which direction to go. Marinette wasn't quite sure why he wasn't going to the hospital, but she was more surprised no one had tried to stop him or help him. The streets looked almost eerily empty. Was it because of the Akuma attack? 

After a while, Marinette cleared her throat. “Y-you can just take me home if you want…” she stammered after formulating the right words in her head. “My parents won’t be home until late…”

Adrien shook his head. “I can’t do that. What if they come home early? I don’t want them to worry about you. Not to mention it would look awfully suspicious if _I_ was the one who was tending to your wounds.”

Marinette sighed somewhat. She figured she couldn’t complain anymore. She _did_ have an idea of where he _could_ bring her, though, but it was too big of a risk. Master Fu would definitely be willing to help if he knew the cause, and would probably explain to her why her Lucky Charm didn’t work. 

Still… she didn’t want to risk Adrien questioning how she knew Master Fu. She couldn't just openly ask Master Fu about Ladybug stuff around Adrien in the first place.

After walking around the side streets of Paris for a few minutes, they ended up at Adrien’s house where they _somehow_ managed to sneak in without anyone noticing. Marinette was surprised that they didn’t see or get stopped by Gorilla, Nathalie, or even Gabriel Agreste himself. All of this seemed too convenient, honestly. Perhaps Adrien had made a map of hidden routes he could use if his father wouldn’t let him out of the house? Regardless, it was strange to be in the Agreste mansion without direct permission from Mr. Agreste and at such a late hour.

Even though Marinette had been in Adrien's room before, she felt slightly embarrassed when Adrien walked into his room and gently placed Marinette on his couch. He disappeared for a while, telling her he was going to go look for a first aid kit. Marinette, having nothing to do now, just looked around the room. She glanced into her purse to check on Tikki, who still appeared to be sleeping. She needed a re-energizer at some point.

Marinette's eyes caught sight of the cut on her leg. She grunted as she raised her leg a bit to examine the wound. While the bleeding had stopped, for the most part, she was concerned that if she touched it incorrectly, it would start bleeding again. Thinking back to the events, Marinette was confused as to why her Miraculous Ladybug power didn’t work on her injury. It had helped other people’s injuries before…hadn’t it? She never really noticed, now that she was thinking about it. 

Normally, Miraculous Ladybug fixed the fallen buildings, the car crashes, and any other collateral damage to the area. Just how many times had the Eiffel Tower been attacked and fixed again by her? Even art in the Louvre had been fixed by the Miraculous Ladybug power several times. Marinette just assumed that it fixed everything, including any wounds people obtained during the battles, since no one involved in the situations complained or seemed hurt after. 

Unless...it wasn’t because her Miraculous Ladybug had failed to heal her but that it _couldn’t_ heal her. Maybe because she was so close to de-transforming, her powers weren’t enough. Or...maybe it was because of who she was fighting; Chat Noir was supposed to represent destruction to balance her creation. However, an amplified, evil Coeur Noir might have stronger powers than Chat Noir’s. Marinette shook her head and sighed. She shouldn't blame her partner so easily, whether they were influenced by evil or not.

“Maybe it just doesn’t heal flesh wounds…” she muttered to herself, frowning. “I’ll have to be extremely careful later..”

“What are you mumbling about?” Marinette’s head jolted up when she heard Adrien’s voice.

She looked over her shoulder to see Adrien walking up to the couch with a first aid kit and a damp cloth in his hands. She must have been too caught up in her thoughts to notice him walk back into the room. She hoped Adrien only heard her muttering and not the things she was muttering about. She smiled awkwardly as Adrien sat and set an emergency first aid kit on the coffee table, sitting on the opposite end of the couch from Marinette.

“I was just…talking to myself!” Marinette said carefully and technically she wasn’t lying…about that part. “Just stuff about my designs, nothing you’d be interested in.” 

Adrien just smiled and opened the first aid kit. He took out all the necessary things he needed to tend to a wound. Turning to Marinette, he requested that she place her leg up on the couch in front of her. After a moment of hesitation and shifting her position, Marinette complied. Adrien leaned forward to examine the wound more closely and his eyebrows furrowed slightly. 

“You ought to get it checked out later, but I’ll do what I can for now,” Adrien said, wiping away the drying blood with the damp cloth. Marinette winced and let out a soft whimper, which caused Adrien to immediately stop his actions. “This is going to hurt, so can I get something to hold for you?”

Without letting Marinette answer the question, Adrien looked around the room for something she could squeeze if it hurt too much. All there was were pillows, which weren’t even that soft, since they were just for decoration. Not wanting to dig around for something and extend Marinette’s stay too long, he just offered his own hand. She stared at his hand as if it was not of this world. To her surprise, he took his hand in hers, causing her to stare at him, wide-eyed and blushing.

“Will this do?” he asked, rubbing his nape nervously. “I don’t really have anything nearby that would be comfortable to hold. I don’t want to keep you here for very long, so just use my hand.”

Marinette looked as if she were trying to say anything, but she couldn’t form cogent words with her open mouth. Instead, she just made some gasping noises. Adrien wasn’t sure if it was due to her not wanting to hold her hand or if she was having a panic attack, but he was worried nonetheless. He gave her hand a slight squeeze.

“It’ll only be for a few minutes, so if you’re uncomfortable, just bear with me,” he smiled reassuringly. “Feel free to squeeze if it hurts.”

Marinette shook her head and nodded simultaneously, which confused Adrien even more. Adrien continued nonetheless, taking the cloth in his hand again and continuing to clean her wound. He realized the cut was bigger than he expected, so he really hoped it wasn’t his fault. He would feel terrible if he did something to someone as close to him as Marinette while not being entirely in control of his feelings or actions. Marinette wasn’t at fault for his inexperience and petty attitude towards his feelings for Ladybug.

Once the wound was clean, Adrien moved on to the antibiotics, which he knew would definitely hurt for Marinette. He warned her and carefully applied the liquid to a cotton pad, dabbing it on the cut. Marinette yelped softly at the contact and squeezed Adrien’s hand tightly. He apologized profusely, feeling terrible seeing Marinette in this much pain. He tried to get the disinfecting done as fast as possible. 

Once Marinette’s wound was cleaned and bandaged, he let Marinette put her leg down and slid a bit closer. She immediately let go of Adrien’s hand and clamped them together in her lap, her cheeks rosy. She licked her lips nervously as silence fell between them. 

“Oh right, you still have a cut on your cheek.” Adrien noticed after a second. “Let me take care of that.”

Marinette’s eyes widened at the thought of Adrien being so close to her face and she waved her hands in front of her. “I-I can do that much myself, th-thanks… I-I’ll just borrow your bathroom real quick.”

Before Adrien could say anything, Marinette was already up on her feet. However, her leg was still too sensitive, so she almost fell back over. Adrien caught her and held her steady, frowning slightly.

“Let me walk you, at least!” Adrien insisted. “You’re still in no condition to walk on your own.”

Marinette stammered out an alright and let Adrien help her to the bathroom, bringing the first aid kit along with him. All of this was _so_ embarrassing for Marinette. She was already helpless when it came to even just _talking_ to him, now she was helpless just walking and needed _his_ help. Even Alya would have thought this was a bluff if Marinette were to tell her. 

Once they reached the bathroom, Adrien was about to leave her to some privacy when he paused. He leaned against the door-frame as Marinette opened the first aid kit and took out a band-aid and the antibiotic gel. He could no longer hold back his curiosity; he had to know how this happened to her.

“Hey...Marinette?” he asked slowly. “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened? How did you end up there so badly injured?”

Marinette rubbed her nape, glancing over at Adrien. She couldn’t exactly tell the truth, so she decided to make up her usual excuse. “I-I guess I got in an Akuma’s way and ended up getting hit... I must have been able to muster enough strength to hide in the alley but I guess I collapsed after that…”

Adrien frowned slightly. As he suspected she said the words he _didn’t_ want her to say. He wanted to apologize but knew he couldn’t. If he did, he would reveal that _he_ had been Coeur Noir and therefore, that he was Chat Noir. Instead, he walked towards her and put his hand on her shoulder.

“Be careful, next time!” he said, a little louder and harsher than he had intended. “I mean… What if something worse happened to you? If Ladybug’s Miraculous Ladybug couldn’t even fix this, then… just know a lot of people would be sad if you were injured any worse.” 

Marinette tried to avoid Adrien’s gaze in the mirror, nodding her head. “I hope Chat Noir is okay… I don’t know much about their powers but…clearly, these villains want Chat Noir and Ladybug’s Miraculous…whatever that means. And who knows what happens if those get damaged.” 

Adrien smiled slightly, feeling a pang of emotion hit his chest at Marinette’s concern for Chat Noir. He gave Marinette’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry, though Miraculous Ladybug didn’t fix your wound, I’m sure it fixed Chat Noir’s…Miraculous.”

Marinette returned the smile shyly. “Yeah, you’re right…”

Adrien removed his hand from Marinette’s shoulder and walked back to the door-frame. “I‘ll let you finish up in here. I’ll keep watch before...”

Right as Adrien was going to say the name of his father’s assistant, he heard her voice calling his name. He gasped and stumbled inside the bathroom, closing the door behind him just in time for Nathalie to walk into the room. He ran to turn on the shower to make it seem like he was in the bathroom for a reason. He returned to Marinette’s side, standing a bit too close for Marinette’s sanity.

“What is it Nathalie?” he called out, motioning for Marinette to stay silent, not realizing how close he had moved to her. “I’m about to take a shower!” 

“I thought I heard you talking to someone…” Nathalie said, probably looking around. He hoped she didn’t see the bloody rag and jacket. “I came to check on you. When did you get home? I didn’t see you come in.” 

“What do you mean, Nathalie? I’ve been home since school ended! You must have been too busy to notice.” Adrien cringed at the obvious lie. Still, he hoped she bought it. “Oh, right, I wanted to walk home so I left before Gorilla could pick me up…”

Meanwhile, Marinette was having a panic attack. Despite them being in a fairly large bathroom, Adrien was standing fairly close to her. It didn’t help that they almost got caught by Nathalie, who would definitely have informed Mr. Agreste. It made it hard to focus on patching up her cheek cut. As her heart rate increased, she began to breathe heavily.

“Alright…well, get to sleep once you’re done with your shower,” Nathalie said after a while. “You have to be up early tomorrow.”

“Y-yes, Nathalie,” Adrien responded quickly, listening to ensure Nathalie had left. 

After a long pause, in which there was _no_ way Adrien _didn’t_ hear Marinette’s heart beating nor her erratic breathing, Adrien heard the bedroom door close. He sighed in relief and looked toward Marinette. It was then that he realized how close he was to Marinette. He took a few awkward steps away.

“Sorry,” he muttered, looking away. He glanced back at Marinette and finally noticed something was off about her. “Marinette? You look pale, are you okay?” 

Marinette didn’t respond. She just clutched the counter tightly, staring at the sink as if she were considering throwing up. Adrien was beyond worried now. He was about to pull out his phone to call…anyone but Marinette reached her hand out as if she wanted to grab his hand to stop him.

“D-don’t…” she managed. Her breathing was still erratic. “Whoever you were going to call, don’t. I’m…fine. It’s just a small panic attack.” 

Adrien stepped back closer to Marinette, a frown returning to his face. He didn’t know how to comfort someone having a panic attack so he just wrapped his arms around Marinette in a hug instead. Although it didn't help the part of Marinette who was panicking because of how close Adrien was, it helped her cope more easily with her panic attack caused by the sudden appearance of Nathalie. Adrien rubbed her back gently, feeling her heartbeat through her chest. It was indeed beating quite rapidly compared to his own.

They stayed like that for a minute or so, long enough where Marinette was no longer feeling nervousness and was instead blissful. This kind of hug didn’t happen often and she was once again brought back to their nice slow dance that Summer. Finally, after Marinette’s heart rate had calmed down, Adrien pulled away. He looked at Marinette again, satisfied that the colour returned to her face. 

“If you’re feeling alright now, we need to get out of _my_ house somehow and back to _your_ house,” Adrien said gently, placing a hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “It’s getting late and I don't want your parents getting worried about you.” 

Adrien glanced outside the bathroom while Marinette finished fixing up her cheek cut. Adrien looked back and gave an ‘okay’ sign with his hands, confirming Nathalie was gone. When the coast was clear, he helped Marinette walk out of the bathroom and towards the door to his room. Adrien held his finger to his lips as he peeked around the corner as he opened his bedroom door, again checking for anyone who might tip off his father or Nathalie that he was sneaking around the house, and with a girl no less.

After a lot of hiding and holding their breath, they made it out of Adrien’s house, without being spotted, to their knowledge, at least. Adrien let out a slight laugh as they stood outside the Agreste house. There was something thrilling about playing Mission Impossible in his own house. He looked at Marinette and noticed she was panting slightly. He frowned and put his hand on her shoulder.

“You alright? We can take a break if you want,” he said, squeezing her shoulder. 

Marinette shook her head. “I’ll be fine.” she checked her watch, gasping slightly. “Oh shoot, I think my parents will be home soon!

Adrien nodded his head in understanding. “Alright. Tell me if you ever need a break. I can carry you again if need be.”

Marinette’s face turned red as she waved her hands in front of her face. “N-no need to carry me again! I’m sure I was heavy and a hassle the first time…I can manage to walk a bit better now.”

Adrien opened his mouth to complain but decided against it. Maybe Marinette was embarrassed by him having to carry her. Perhaps it made her uncomfortable? But…if that kind of stuff _did_ make her uncomfortable, why didn’t she refuse the hug. Was it because she was in a vulnerable state? Adrien really didn’t understand Marinette’s feelings for him. Did she like him (as a friend of course) or did she hate him?

Adrien didn't want silence to fall between them as they walked, so he decided to ask what he had tried to ask after school before being rudely interrupted by Chloe, as always. “I know I asked this earlier but you didn’t get to respond. Do you hate me?”

Marinette immediately looked at Adrien with an incredulous expression. “Hate you? I love you--I-I mean _everyone_ loves you! Plus you know I’m a _big_ fan of your dad’s work!”

Adrien hummed, frowning slightly at the last part but shrugging it off. “Well, everyone loves me because I’m a model...I guess. I’ve just..never really had friends before besides Chloe so I’m not sure if...you consider me a friend. Because I consider you a friend!”

Marinette stopped and turned to Adrien, speaking her next words fairly quickly, making it hard for Adrien to pick up parts. “Of course you're my friend, Adrien! Sure we had our misunderstandings but now I know, now, you're not like that. You’re handsome,cool,dreamy...I mean...you’re caring, kind, and helpful.” she paused and scowled slightly as if she thought of something unpleasant. Evidently, she did, because she added, “And most importantly, you don’t let your power and wealth get to your head, unlike _someone_ we know.”

Adrien couldn’t help but chuckle at Marinette’s last lines. “That’s true… But if you _do_ consider me a friend then...why do you treat me differently than you do Alya or Nino?”

This was where Marinette hesitated. “W-well that’s…” she seemed to be coming up with something to say. _That’s because I’m madly in love with you_. “You...you’re practically a celebrity so of course, I would be nervous around you! I-I wouldn’t want to get any of your fans to hate me or something! So I feel like I have to…b-be careful of what I say…yeah!” 

Adrien thought this made sense. His father even told him he shouldn’t date or it would tarnish his image. Although he had a feeling he would break this rule if he ever _did_ find someone he liked as much as Ladybug. As much as he loved Ladybug, the probability of them was low considering he would have to be Chat Noir all the time, not Adrien.

“Oh, okay.” was the only thing Adrien could think of saying. “That makes sense.” 

After a few minutes of walking in a, now somewhat comfortable, silence, they arrived at the Dupain-Cheng family bakery. Marinette and Adrien stood at the front door while Marinette fumbled for the key. Her parents didn't appear to be home yet. When Marinette had finally unlocked and opened the door, she turned to Adrien.

“Do you want to come in for a quick snack?” she offered with a friendly smile on her face. “As thanks for everything today, and an apology for leaving so abruptly after school.” 

Adrien returned the smile but shook his head. “Thanks, but I should get back. Bring me some pastries tomorrow though and I’ll consider it even.”

Marinette nodded her head in understanding. “Deal. Get home safe, okay Adrien?” she was about to go inside when she turned back to Adrien. “Oh, by the way. You’re a great friend. Anyone would be lucky to have you as their friend.” she swiftly pecked Adrien on the cheek.

Before Adrien could react, Marinette had run into the bakery, locking the door behind her. Her cheeks were red and her smile awkward as she waved in the window before disappearing behind the doors in the back of the store that lead to their flat above the bakery. Too stunned to move, Adrien just stood at the door for a couple of seconds.

He looked up at the roof, where Marinette's room was, cradling his cheek. Something stirred inside Adrien’s chest, but he wasn't sure it was anything more than just being touched by Marinette's kind words and surprise action. Adrien couldn’t help but notice a cuteness that he hadn’t noticed before in Marinette as she scrambled away.

****…** **

The following night, Ladybug was out doing a night watch, checking to ensure no one had a problem or an Akuma didn't appear so late. However, as she sat on top of a building, gazing out at the streets of Paris, she couldn't help but feel distracted. It had been a day since she had last seen Chat Noir (normal Chat Noir, not Akumatized Chat Noir) and she didn’t even know if he was okay because of how quickly she had left, in order not to reveal his or her identity. She shook her head, a deep sigh coming out of her mouth. She hoped she wouldn’t have to have to explain to Master Fu that Chat Noir might not be able to transform anymore due to not knowing what happened to the Miraculous and Plagg. Especially when she suspected she was partly, if not entirely, responsible for the Akumatization.

There was also another thought that had been living in her head rent-free since the previous night. She—Marinette—had kissed Adrien on the cheek. Marinette Dupain-Cheng kissed _Adrien Agreste_ on the _cheek_. And it wasn’t even in one of her usual weird fantasies; she had _actually_ done it. Marinette felt her cheeks heat up again as she thought about it. She shook her head quickly, mentally slapping herself for mixing up her private life with her professional life again.

“Hey there, Bugaboo,” an all too familiar voice said from behind her.“What’s with the red face? Were you thinking about me?” 

Ladybug stood up abruptly to meet Chat Noir but almost tottered over due to her leg still being tender. Chat Noir caught her before she could fall, making another coy, flirtatious remark about her ‘falling for him’. 

Ladybug glared at her partner, glaring at him as she moved away from his grip. Despite the fact that she had already moved away, Ladybug couldn't hold in her relief at seeing him.

“God, you worried me, kitty!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms back around him in a hug. “I’m glad you’re okay!”

“Well, I’m even better now that this is happening!” Chat Noir teased, hugging her back without hesitation. “It’s rare for you to give _me_ attention like this.” he giggled like a schoolgirl as he added, “Did you miss me _that_ much?”

“Don’t make me regret hugging you.” Ladybug grumbled. She pulled away, once again glaring at her sidekick. “Do you know how scared I was to find out you had been Akumatized?! Especially when I realized it was…probably my fault.” 

Her glare softened at her last words, her eyes moving from Chat Noir to the ground below her. Chat Noir noticed this change and gently placed his hand on Ladybug’s shoulder. Ladybug half expected to see Adrien when she looked up, with how often Adrien had done the same action to Marinette during the previous night. When she did look up, it was, obviously, the annoyingly charming Chat Noir that was looking at her.

“It wasn’t your fault, My Lady,” he said sincerely. “I was already feeling a little annoyed because someone who I've known for ages said something mean to a just as important friend of mine. I didn’t like the tone or words Ch-- my childhood friend used and I didn’t want the other friend to feel offended or hurt. And then you came along and I guess because I was already annoyed…your words pushed me over the edge.” he looked down with what looked like a pout on his lips. “I tried to resist but…either I was too weak because of my emotions or Hawk Moth is stronger than I thought. It was all petty, I’m sorry...” 

Ladybug sighed softly as she looked at Chat Noir. She knew he was sincere, but...at the same time, it reminded her of the reason _she_ had been snappy. Adrien, however, could not possibly be Chat Noir, right? They were complete opposites. She shook the thought from her head and smiled softly at Chat Noir. She reached her hand up and ruffled Chat Noir’s hair playfully.

“Oh, kitty,” she said, slightly amused by Chat Noir’s flushed expression to her action. “I didn’t take you for the type to care so much about your friends! I’m sorry if what I said offended you, though. I was also frustrated. I had a really bad day that day and Ice Pick was the icing on the frustration cake. I took my frustrations out on you when I should have appreciated you instead. You’re a good partner. Anyone would be lucky to have you as their partner.” 

Catching Chat Noir off guard again, she leaned in and pecked him on the cheek. It was a friendly gesture, Chat Noir could tell that much but something about it bothered him. Ladybug had already sped off, telling Chat Noir that she was going to check another area of the city, leaving Chat Noir still in a state of shock and confusion. Normally, Chat Noir would have been ecstatic that Ladybug had _actually_ kissed him on the cheek but…

Those words and those actions. Were almost word for word what Marinette had told Adrien the night prior. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're done! This ended up being a bit longer than I expected but I wanted to tie up some loose ends from previous plot points and ofc have some proper Adrienette. Sorry if things seemed a bit out of character (or don't make sense) towards the end there. I wanted some sweets moment. Though to me, the most OOC/uncharacteristic part would be Marinette kissing Adrien's cheek but..I think given the circumstances, and considering it seems that most of the time when Marinette starts getting USED to Adrien being around, she's a little less jittery (for example, (because I'm rewatching the series for whatever reason and just finished that episode a bit ago so it's on my mind) in Kung Food, after a bit she had no issues talking/being next to Adrien.) unless she's asked a question involving him.  
> I hope you enjoyed my first story on here! I have a few other fics I've been working on for years, so if I ever have the chance, I'll post them. But most of them need major editing so...might be a while. I also have one more fic from the fandom that got me writing fanfics, Shugo Chara! that I plan on making my last Shugo Chara fic (maybe ever, maybe in a while), but that also needs major editing (and I still need to finish one re-write fic for the same fandom). I might even post a One Shot I wrote after watching Stranger Things for the first time if someone is interested! Anyway, I need to stop typing.   
> I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you...whenever I decide to post again!   
> Artiikii, out!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Uhh- this is my first time posting on AO3 so I have no idea what I'm doing. This fic will also be on my FFN page, which is basically the same name as on here, though I guess that doesn't matter.  
> This fic is pretty old (I wrote it long before Chat Blanc came out), and I don't really have a set...time period for it. It takes place before some things that happen in The Dark Owl and the Queen Battle two-parter (Style Queen + Queen Wasp) so I guess you could say it either takes place during season 1 or during the beginning of season 2. (according to the timeline I'm using, I would put it somewhere before/during September 2015, which...I would hope works out with the Marinette being cold part of this chapter-)  
> I don't believe I made any references to moments that take place after those three episodes (I doubt I would have anyway since when editing I didn't change much besides wording), but if you see any, please tell me so I can fix it!  
> ALSO sorry this is getting long I just wanted to say, I know these kinds of storylines for LB and Chat are common (so much so that even Astruc included an official one) but I still like this idea so I decided to finish and post the fic anyway. It's a shorter one; only 3 chapters, but they're packed. I think the ONLY time I read a 'Hawk Moth Akumatizes LB or Chat' was a comic that was for LB AGES ago so if it's similar to another work, it's purely coincidental.  
> Anyway, I hope this chapter is readable and enjoyable. I'll post the next chapter soon maybe-  
> PS, I tried to keep characters as true to themselves as possible, even using the show as BG noise as I edited, so I hope it feels natural.  
> 


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